^ I tend to agree, it's not all so bad. Only that each song has that incredibly commercial element - be it a chorus, a solo... that screams: 'All now sing along', taking the band (as they surely hope) 'into a new level of popularity'. It leaves a very bad taste. Add to that the second weak point, namely that they quote other bands far too often. Thus, I may love Nocturnal Flare, but then it all spills into Maiden; I may like Nekrohaven, until the punk vibe got completely smeared into some dumb guitar solo... Mind you, all guitars on that record are awful.
Each song deteriorates into something predictable.

Third, and final down-point: the overall feel of - well, not melancholia, but sheer phlegmatism. Seems Satyr has entirely succumbed to his temperament. Gosh, he's even unbearable to watch in interviews.

It's not that bad of a record - but try to imagine it without Frost, and think the same...

^ I tend to agree, it's not all so bad. Only that each song has that incredibly commercial element - be it a chorus, a solo... that screams: 'All now sing along', taking the band (as they surely hope) 'into a new level of popularity'. It leaves a very bad taste. Add to that the second weak point, namely that they quote other bands far too often. Thus, I may love Nocturnal Flare, but then it all spills into Maiden; I may like Nekrohaven, until the punk vibe got completely smeared into some dumb guitar solo... Mind you, all guitars on that record are awful.
Each song deteriorates into something predictable.

Third, and final down-point: the overall feel of - well, not melancholia, but sheer phlegmatism. Seems Satyr has entirely succumbed to his temperament. Gosh, he's even unbearable to watch in interviews.

It's not that bad of a record - but try to imagine it without Frost, and think the same...

ops, and Phoenix is just..... yuck

I don't care about commercial elements if the music actually works. I checked the full album and think that half of the songs are actually quite or very good, some of them, like the ones you liked, were just the same they've done over and over again on their current path.

The best parts are the songs where they mostly keep things very simple riff-wise and try new things. Maybe that for I actually liked Phoenix, nowhere near the Satyricon known from the previous works, but their last album brought nothing new and this and some mellower, maybe even a bit more post-rockish parts brought something new to the table.

The drum-work certainly is very big part on the album, but that's natural, this is a band and not a solo-work.

Strange that you'd say you don't mind the commercialism - I just heard that from another friend, as well. It bothers me a lot. I am not an avid metal listener, I prefer blues and jazz, which is all about innovation.
And Satyricon said this album would be innovative, didn't they?...

My complaint about the album being dependent on Frost, has to do with the Satyr-Frost 'dynamics', if you follow interviews. Frost claims Satyr is the 'new Beethoven', while Satyr says that 'finally, in this new album, I am able to say I'm proud of Frost' (?? - surely, his work on previous albums wasn't admirable?)

I agree Satyricon should keep things simple. Their effort to be Enslaved is doomed. The strength of Satyr is in classic songwriting - which is actually great, if he did still have the inspiration...

some more...
I still struggle with listening. Walker Upon The Wind - still the crazy out-of-sense tempo changes... folk, groove, then doom...

Why I keep nagging about Frost... because the beat is the core of music, to me. And Satyr has put an enormous amount of pressure on Frost with this album, without any justification. 'Progressive'? In Enslaved, the rhythms flow into each other, there's continuity. The 'low-key and calm', as Frost puts it, naturally builds up for the strong. In this new Satyricon, nothing makes sense. The different beats and tempos aim at nothing but the disruption of what would be a song. Maybe that was the goal of Satyr, to make the song more 'intricate' that way. If only it were an entity, and not some fragmentary postmodern... art statement....

To the person above - yes, I have various usernames under which I post here and there. I may well be that 'mad darkestdepth' whom a certain very sane (?!) 'forefather of black metal' has tried to demonize all over the net, for simply having a personality, in a particularly sane music scene. But why go into soap opera?

everything felt out of place, tune, joint. and this is coming from someone who thought age of nero was their best since nemesis divina. should have known better after that weird intro riff on the album.

To the person above - yes, I have various usernames under which I post here and there. I may well be that 'mad darkestdepth' whom a certain very sane (?!) 'forefather of black metal' has tried to demonize all over the net, for simply having a personality, in a particularly sane music scene. But why go into soap opera?

I just find it a bit strange that you appear to have joined the NWN board, of all places, to post only about Satyricon, especially when you are 'not an avid metal listener'!

Guess Watain and Satyricon both were obligated to write something for their girlfriends on the latest albums.

I didn't bother listening to that Watain song until I saw this post... sounds like the band was trying to channel Fields of the Nephilim through some 80s arena rock bullshit. I'm repulsed.

"Phoenix" isn't quite as offensive since I'm unfamiliar with what artists it sounds like. It's a girlfriend track, though, just as much as this is worthy of being a fold-out poster in a zine for teenage girls.

I haven't listened to Satyricon in a while... I don't think this album will revitalize my liking for them.